


Outcome

by JolinarJackson



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-29 01:54:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14462514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JolinarJackson/pseuds/JolinarJackson
Summary: WARNING: Spoilers forAvengers - Infinity War!“I can’t give you everything or the future will change.” Stephen faces Stark again. ”I’m going to have to put all my trust in you,” he adds, ”so I need you to trust menow.””Ominous,” Stark says, his dark eyes narrowed, ”not sure I can work with that.””You’ll have to.”Stephen Strange saw over 14 million potential outcomes of their fight against Thanos and only one version of the future that offered hope.He knew exactly what he was doing when he set them up to fail on Titan.





	Outcome

**Author's Note:**

> _Spoilers: Avengers – Infinity War  
>  Setting: _ During _Avengers – Inifinity War_
> 
> _Author's Note:_ I went to see _Infinity War_ and it just broke me. Needless to say, those 20 seconds or so that Peter and Tony got towards the end were the most heart-wrenching of the whole movie for me.   
>  This story is a wild, wild, wild speculation into what exactly was going on towards the end, because I got the feeling that everything went according to Strange’s plan, which is not only setting up Avengers 4 in an intriguing way, but also makes _Infinity War_ a great prologue for whatever comes next.   
>  Of course, it could also be that I’m just desperate and projecting too much Sherlock Holmes on Doctor Strange.   
> _Disclaimer:_ I’m not making money with this fanfic. The Marvel Cinematic Universe and the characters appearing within it belong to their producers and creators. Any similarities to living or dead persons are purely coincidental and not intended.

**WARNING:**

**Please note that this story contains massive Spoilers for _Avengers - Infinity War_. Feel free to come back and read it after you have seen the movie.**

***  
***

 

“Can you really see all possible variations of the future?”

Stephen opens his eyes, turns away from the remains of Titan’s civilization, and looks at the kid. ”Yes.” 

Parker’s dark eyes light up, his expression brightening in stunned disbelief. ”That’s so awesome,” he breathes. ”You could look at _anything_ and never have to worry anymore, because you always know what to do to make things right. That’s, like, the coolest ability ever.”

Stephen can’t look at him, at so much youth, not with what he’s seen in the kid’s future. He turns away. ”It comes with a lot of responsibility.” He dismisses Parker, closing his eyes to focus, going through the motions in his head once again. 

Even though he already knows what he has to do. It’s frighteningly simple. 

He knows there is just one way to gain the upper hand against Thanos.

”Is there anything you need me to do?” Parker asks. ”Aside from, you know, fighting?”

Stephen releases a breath, clamps down on the answer he should give. _“I need you to die.”_

”Parker,” Stark says, as if he’s able to sense Stephen’s uneasiness, ”leave Dumbledore alone.” 

Stephen hears the kid move away and swallows against the tightness in his chest, the lump in his throat. He hesitates, he _doubts_ … but he can’t allow himself to do that. He has a mission, a _priority_ , a _**duty**_. Every protector of the Sanctums is required to be willing to die for the greater good, for the protection of the planet, for the stone … Stephen had struggled with that for a while, but then he’d made peace with what is expected of him. 

At least he’d thought so. Now, he isn’t so sure anymore. Maybe because he knows how this confrontation will end. How it _must_ end. 

Stephen turns around to look at Quill and his friends huddled together and then at Stark who is talking to Parker, his expression earnest.

They’re preparing for an attack Stephen had briefly outlined for them. A fight they won’t win. Stephen knows this, they don’t. They might doubt, they might even be frightened – he sees this in Mantis’s nervous fidgeting, in Parker’s too-bright smile – but they will give their best. And they wouldn’t if they knew the truth … if they knew that Stephen is setting them up to fail, sending most of them towards their death … even himself.

Out of everything he’d seen in the one future that gave him any hope of success, this is probably the hardest part to grasp for him. Stephen, despite his powers and knowledge, can’t be the solution. 

Stark is. 

He doesn’t know it yet and if Stephen were to explain it to him right now, they still wouldn’t succeed. He’d seen that, too, in numerous variations of the future. Only one scenario would work, would send Stark down the path they needed him to, would pierce that red armor in a way no weapon could. 

The kid smiles weakly, tense, and Stark’s hand grasps his shoulder before he turns and walks towards Strange. He comes close and leans in while trying to look casual about it. ”Tell me this’ll work.”

”I already did.” Stephen doesn’t want to lie again … but he will, if necessary. 

Stark looks at him and then his eyes flit to the side, towards the kid. 

”You shouldn’t have brought him if you didn’t want the kid here.”

”I didn’t _bring_ him. He _followed_ me.”

”That still makes him your responsibility.”

”I’m not denying that.” He swallows, ducks his head for a moment before pinning Stephen with a look so earnest Stephen is taken aback for a second. ”That’s why I need you to level with me here. You actually know how this will end and I need to know that Peter will be alright.”

Stephen folds his hands on his back. ”We don’t have time for sensitivities, Stark.”

”Just _tell me_.”

Stephen stares at him and he begins to realize that he’s really doing the right thing. It’s the glint in Stark’s eyes, his rigid posture, the tense set around his lips … the same expression he wore when Stephen told him he would put the safety of the Time Stone above the lives of Parker and Stark himself. It’s a protective streak coming through. Stark isn’t overly affectionate with the kid, barely seems to pay attention to him at times, but there _is_ some kind of bond between Parker and him. 

Stark’s the solution, but only when they fail. Only when the kid dies.

Stephen nods slowly. ”He will not be harmed in the fight.” It’s not a lie, at least. Parker will survive the fight, they all will … and then Stephen will heal Stark’s wound while Thanos will collect his last prize on Earth and then … 

_“I don’t wanna go.” Parker clinging to Stark, begging tearfully as if Stark holds the power to change what’s about to happen. That is faith._

_And Stark hugs him close and tries to calm him, even though he knows there is nothing he can do. That might be love._

_“Please!”_

Stephen closes his eyes against the memory of what he’d seen in their future, shakes his head.

”What?” Stark asks, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Stephen turns away. ”I gave you an answer.”

”And I feel like you haven’t given me everything.” 

There are several variations of the future, in which Stephen breaks down at this point and tells Stark the truth … and ultimately, they lose in all of those. “I can’t give you everything or the future will change.” Stephen faces Stark again. ”I’m going to have to put all my trust in you,” he adds, ”so I need you to trust me _now_.” 

”Ominous,” Stark says, his dark eyes narrowed, ”not sure I can work with that.”

”You’ll have to,” Stephen answers. There’s a shift in the air, a sudden change to the very balance in the atmosphere, Stephen can _feel_ it … the arrival. “Because here he comes.”

 

END  
04/2018


End file.
